INS Delhi (C74)
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INS ''Delhi'' was a
light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
built for the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
in 1933 as HMS ''Achilles'', and commissioned into the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy (from 1941 the
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...
) in 1937 as . She was returned to the Royal Navy at the end of the Second World War and in 1948 was sold to the
Royal Indian Navy The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) was the naval force of British Raj, British India and the Dominion of India. Along with the Presidency armies, later the British Indian Army, Indian Army, and from 1932 the Royal Indian Air Force, it was one of the ...
to be recommissioned as HMIS ''Delhi''. In 1950 she was renamed INS ''Delhi'' and remained in service until decommissioned at
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
on 30 June 1978.


History

The ship was commissioned into the Royal Indian Navy as HMIS ''Delhi'' under the command of Captain H. N. S. Brown of the Royal Navy on 5 July 1948 by the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom
V. K. Krishna Menon Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon (3 May 1896 – 6 October 1974) was an Indian academic, independence activist, politician, lawyer, and statesman. During his time, Menon contributed to the Indian independence movement and India's foreign r ...
. Captain Brown was also serving as Commodore Commanding Indian Naval Squadron (COMINS). She had 17 British officers and petty officers, the rest of the crew being Indian.
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Ram Dass Katari was her executive officer and the senior-most Indian officer, while Lieutenant Commander Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda was her
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
. On her way to India, she called at
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
,
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,
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and
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. The
Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
himself welcomed the ship at Bombay on 15 September 1948.Satyindra S, Bliueprint to Bluewater - The Indian Navy 1951 – 65; pub Lancer New Delhi 1992, She conducted her first major goodwill cruise in 1948, to East Africa, the
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
, and
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. After India became a
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in January 1950, she was renamed INS ''Delhi''. In June 1950, Commander
Adhar Kumar Chatterji Admiral Adhar Kumar Chatterji (4 March 1914 – 6 August 2001) was an Admiral in the Indian Navy. He served as the 5th Chief of the Naval Staff, from 4 March 1966, until 28 February 1970. He was the first Indian officer of the navy to hold ...
(later Chief of the Naval Staff) became her first Indian commanding officer; the same month she conveyed Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
to
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on an official visit. In May 1951, the
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, in recognition of her services to New Zealand and as a goodwill gesture to India, presented a plaque to Captain S. G. Karmarkar, the
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
of the ''Delhi''. The plaque, with the crests of both ''Achilles'' and ''Delhi'' was presented by the New Zealand Trade Commissioner in India. On 31 May 1951, the ''Delhi'' escorted by the R-class destroyers , and and the frigates , and sailed from Bombay, on a six-week goodwill cruise to
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and
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. The commanding officer was Captain S. G. Karmarkar, the
executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
was Commander B. A. Samson and Lieutenant Commander JB Simmons was the first lieutenant. The Rear Admiral Commanding Indian Naval Squadron (RACINS)
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
Geoffrey Barnard flew his flag on the ''Delhi''. On the ship were also embarked, the Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy
Vice Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
Sir Edward Parry and the Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
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Arjan Singh Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, (15 April 1919 – 16 September 2017) was a senior air officer of the Indian Air Force. He served as the 3rd Chief of the Air Staff (India), Chief of the Air Staff from 1964 to 1969, leading the Air ...
. The C-in-C and the AOC disembarked at Cochin and the Indian Naval squadron continued on its cruise. ''Delhi'' called on
Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
,
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, Diego Suarez. While at Mombasa,
Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He played a significant role in the ...
, the future first
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and
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of Kenya visited the ''Delhi''. He stayed on board the ship for a few days, being accommodated in Karmarkar's cabin. While returning to India, it called on
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in the
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. Karmarkar later added about his ship, "The ''Delhi'' stood out majestically with great dignity and slick appearance." In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1956, she played herself, as ''Achilles'', in the film '' Battle of the River Plate''. In 1968 she was moved to a training role.


Portuguese–Indian War

On 18 December 1961, during the annexation of the Portuguese State of India, also known as "Operation Vijay" or the Portuguese-Indian War, in which
Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
and its dependencies of
Daman and Diu Daman and Diu (; ) was a union territory in northwestern India. With an area of , it was the smallest administrative subdivision of India on the mainland. The territory comprised two districts, Daman and Diu Island, geographically separated ...
were annexed, ''Delhi'' was tasked to patrol the waters off Diu. At dawn, the ship was spotted by the Portuguese defenders, but they did not recognize its hoisted battle flag. The Portuguese land based artillery did not open fire considering it might be a cargo vessel. Indian Navy reports state that ''Delhi'' supported the Indian Army's advance by firing on the citadel, and neutralizing the airport control tower. The detailed Portuguese reports on the invasion do not mention fire from the main guns of the Indian cruiser, though a possible cause of the discrepancy is that the source of the fire from the ageing cruiser may not have been identified, due to the Indian Army firing from the landward side. Alternatively, the cruiser's shells may have fallen short of the citadel. The only documented event of naval action between India and Portugal in Portuguese reports in the Diu region, was the sinking of the Portuguese patrol boat NRP ''Vega'' by
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
aircraft, after ''Vega'' opened fire on them with its sole
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models empl ...
, killing two of the crew, including his captain. After the sinking, the survivors of the ''Vega'' were taken prisoner-of-war on the shore. In another naval action of the Portuguese-Indian War, engaged several Indian frigates that were trying to force the entry in Mormugao harbour, Goa, being severely damaged and stranded after sustaining an hour of combat.


Visit to New Zealand

In 1969, ''Delhi'' visited
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
under Captain V. E. C. Barboza. The visit was the occasion of many reunions of ''Achilles'' veterans who were plied with large quantities of rum and beer, and taken on a quick trip by the ship.


Decommissioning

''Delhi'' was decommissioned at
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
in 1978. Subsequently, one of her gun turrets was sent to New Zealand, where it is preserved. A second turret, or gun, is reported to be preserved at the Regiment of Artillery Museum
Nashik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...
. The precise fate of the third turret is unknown, but a persistent rumour holds that it was officially recorded as "eaten by white ants". The remainder of the ship was scrapped. The main mast serves as the quarterdeck through which cadets from the National Defence Academy of India pass out.


References


Sources

* Campbell, John (1985). ''Naval Weapons of World War Two''.
Naval Institute Press The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...
. . * Lenton, H.T. & Colledge, J.J (1968). ''British and Dominion Warships of World War Two''.
Doubleday and Company Doubleday is an American publishing company. It was founded as the Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897. By 1947, it was the largest book publisher in the United States. It published the work of mostly U.S. authors under a number of imprints and ...
. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Delhi (1948) Leander-class cruisers (1931) of the Indian Navy Ships built on the River Mersey 1932 ships